Hand brake



Patented inne 11i, 193@ TATS means JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, LLINOS, ASSGNOR TO W. H. MINER, INC., OF (251321213131610j ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HAND BRAKE Application led October 1, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes. i

An object of the invention is to provide a brake mechanism wherein worm elements are utilized for rotating a winding drum to tighten the brake rigging7 and in conjunction with which means are provided for eecting a quick release of the worm elements, said means being operable either from a position upon the ground, or from a position upon the upper portion of the car adjacent the hand wheel on the brake staff.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of this character wherein the worm elements are maintained in mesh through the force exerted thereon by the pull of the brake chain upon the drum.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for maintaining the winding drum in a predetermined position when the brake is in released condition whereby the point of connection of the brake rigging to the drum is normally disposed at one side of a line extending through the center of the brake drum and the point at which the power is applied to the brakes proper, so that, upon initial winding of the drum, the effective movement of the connection of the brake chain therewith7 will be through an arc caus ing greater travel of the connection than would be the case if the initial position of the connection coincided with the line extending through the center of the drum and the point of application of power to the brake shoes.

Other and further objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafterfollowing.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a fragmentary, broken, elevation of a portion of a railway car,

showing the invention applied in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal, sectional view of the invention corresponding to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. And Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

As shown in the drawing, 10 represents the upper portion of the rear end of a railway car, and 11 represents an end sill disposed ad- 59 jacent the lower portion of the car, which serial 1go. 223,272.

includes a vertical flange 110, and a horizontal flange 111. Secured to the upper portion 10 of the car is a bracket 12 which provides a bearing for the upper portion of a rotatable brake staff 13, said staif being provided with the usual operating wheel 14 at its upper end. The stad extends downwardly through the flange 111 of the angle member 11, and the lower end thereof is provided with a cylindrical reduced portion1 which is rotatably mounted in the horizontally extending support 15, forming part of the brake stirrup 16, the upright portions of the stirrup being cured to the undersurface of the sill 11 by suitable rivets. The staff 13 adjacent its lower end is provided with a squared portion 17 upon which is mounted a worm member 18, said member being adapted to co-operate with other portions of the mechanism in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

Mounted in the stirrup 16 is a frame 170 comprising side members 180 and 19 con nected by a top member 20, the lower ends of the side members being provided with out wardly extending flanges which are riveted to the horizontal portion 15 of the stirrup 16. The top member 20 has extensions 21-21, which are riveted to the flange 111 of the sill member 11, the top surface of the member 2() lying flat against the undersurface of the flange 111. The side member 19 of the frame is provided with opposite"` vertically spaced offset portions 22-22, through which the shaft 13 extends, and said offset portions provide abutments at opposite ends of the worm member 18 for maintaining said worm member in position on the staff 13.

Mounted within the frame 170 is a rectaugular carrier member 23, said carrier member comprising side walls 24 and 25 and top and bottom walls 26 and Q7. The top wall 26, adjacent the side wall 25, is provided with an annular boss or trunnion 29, which is rotatably disposed in a suitable bearing opening' in the top wall Q0 of the frame 170 and ex tends upwardly through the horizontal flange 111 of the member 11. The lower wall 27 of the frame 23 is also providedwith atrunnion 30, corresponding in position with the trunnion Q9, the trunnion 30 being rotatably disposed in the horizontal portion 15 of the stirrup 16, and said trunnion is provided with an annular shoulder 31 adapted to bear upon the portion 15 and thereby space the bottom 5 wall 27 of the carrier from the portion 15. A handle lever 32 is provided at the lower end of the frame 23, and extends outwardly to one side of the carrier substantially at right angles to the wall 24, manipulation of the handle lever serving to swing the. carrier 23 about the pivots provided by the trunnions 29v and 30, said handle being disposed in convenient reach of a brakeman from a position upon the ground. 'Ihe handle 32 is provided with an abutting portion 330 which bears upon the edge of the side wall of the frame 170, to limit movement of the carrier in a clockwise direction about the trunnio-ns 29 and 30 in a manner hereinafter referred to. The carrier also may be rotated by means of a shaft 33, the lower end of which extends into a socket in the trunnion 29, and is fixed insaid socket to prevent rotation with reference to said trunnion. The upper end of the shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in an extension 34 formed on the bracket 12, and the upper extremity of said shaft 33 is provided with a lever 35, by means of which the lshaft may be rotated to elfect the desire-d movement of the carrier 23.

Rotatably mounted in suitable journal openings in the side walls 24 and 25 of the carrier 23 is shaft 36, the ends of which project outwardly beyond said walls, as indi- 35 catedv at 37 and 38. The end 37 of the shaft 36 is 'slidably mounted in a horizontally disposed slot 39 formed in the wall 180 of the frame 170. The opposite end of the shaft, outside of the walls 25, has rigidly lined thereto, a worm wheel 4() adapted to mesh with the worm member 18 on the shaft 13. The shaft 36 between the walls 24 and 25 of the carrier carriesva winding drum 41, formed with a concave rim, and provided with an eye-bolt 42 to which the end of the brake chain, indicated at 43, is connected, said brake chain leading to the brake shoes proper. T he drum 41 is provided at one side with an extension 44 adapted to abutagainst the top wall 26 of the carrier 23, to limit rotation of the drum in an unwinding direction, in such manner as to always maintain the point of connect-ion of the chain 43 at one side of a line extending from the center of the drum to. the point of proper, it being noted that the drum is of sulicient diameter that the required length `of brake chain may be taken up when the drum is rotates slightly less than a full revolution to properly tighten the brake. y

In operation, assuming that the brake is in released condition, with the drum arranged as indicatedv in Figure 3, and it is desired to set the brake, thehand wheel 14 is rotated in a clockwise direction, e'ecting corresponding application of the force to the brake shoesV rotation of the worm member 18, which, in turn, rotates the worm wheel 40 and the drum 41. Upon the initial movement of the drum 41, due to the disposition of the eye-bolt connection 42, as maintained by the stop 44, the arc through which the connection rotates will cause the drum to initially take in the chain at a faster rate and over a greater distance than would be the case if the co-nnection of the chain 43 with the drum were located directly in line with the center of the drum Vand the point of application of the operating after the same has been fully or partially set,

the worm members may be released either through manipulation of the lever 32 if the operator is on the ground, or through swinging of the lever 35 if the operator is upon the car adjacent to the hand wheel 14. to quickly release the brake from a position upon the ground, the lever 32 is grasped by the operator and pulled in a counter-clockwise direction serving to oscillate the carrier upon the trunnions 29V and 30, which carrier moves the worm wheel 40 out of mesh with the worm-member 18, permitting thepull of the brake chain to eect unwinding rotation of the drum. On the other hand, if it is desired to quickly release the brake from a position upon the car, the lever 35V may be pulled in a counter-clockwise direction causing similar movement ofthe carrier through the intermediary of the shaft 33, thisaction also serving to disconnect the worm wheel 40. from the worm member 18.' Of course, if it is desired to release the brake slightly, the staff may be rotated in a contro-clockwise direction as will be understood, without operation of the quick release mechanism, attention being called to the fact that byuse of the'worm mechanism, no ratchet andpawl mechanism is necessary for preventing retrograde rotation of the staff. 7

I have herein shownand described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, buty the same is Vmerely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. In a hand brake structure of the character described, the combination with a. rotatable driving vworm member; ofa winding drum to which the brake chain is connected, said drum having a worm member connected In order thereto and adapted to mesh with the driving worm member; and a movable carrier for said drinn, said carrier being pivotally supported for swinging movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said driving worm, whereby the worm member connected to the drinn is movable toward and away from said driving worm, the pull ofthe bi'ake chain on said drum serving to hold said earrier in position to maintain meshing engagement between said driving worm and t-he worm associated with said drum. A v

2. In a hand brake structure of the character described, the combination with a driv ing worm member; of a winding drum to which the brake chain is connected, said drum' having a worm member connected thereto and adapted to mesh with the driving worm member; a movable carrier for said drum, the pull on the brake chain serving to hold said carrier in position to maintain meshing engagement between said driving worm andthe worm associated with said drum; and means operable, both from a position on the ground and from a position on the car for moving said carrier to quickly release said driving worm member and the driven worm member.

3. In a hand brake, the combination with a brake staff having a worm member connected thereto; an oscillatable carrier; a drum rotatably mounted in said carrier and having a worm wheel connected therewith, the pull of the brake chain on said drum maintaining said carrier in position to effect meshing engagement of said worm wheel and worm member; and means for maintaining the point ot connection of said brake chain with said drum at one side of a line extending directly centrally through said drum to the point of application of the operating force to the brakes proper.

4. In a hand brake, the combination with a brake staif having a worm member connected thereto; an oscillatable carrier; a drum ro tatably mounted in said carrier and having a worm wheel connected therewith, the pull oi the brake chain on said drum maintaining said carrier in position to ettect meshing engagement of said worm wheel and worm member; means for maintaining the point ot connection of said brake chain with said drum at one side of a line extending directly centrally through said drum to the point ot application of the operating force to the brakes proper; and means for moving said carrier and said worm wheel out ot engagement with said worm member for effecting quick release of the brake.

5. In a hand brake of the character described, the combination with a support; of a frame mounted on said support; a brake staff rotatably mounted in said support and provided with a worm member; a carrier provided with trunnion means at opposite ends thereof and disposed eccentrically with respect thereto, said trunnion means being ro tatably mounted in said support; a winding drum rotatably mounted in said carrier and having a worin wheel affixed thereto, said worm wheel being adapted to mesh with the worm member on said staff, the pull of the brake chain on said drum serving to maintain said worm wheel in meshing engagement with said worm member; and means for moving said carrier about said trunnion means for effecting rapid release of said brake.

6. In a hand brake of the character described, the combination with the body portion of a railway car; of a stirrup mounted adjacent the lower portion of said car; of a vertical brake staff mounted upon said body portion and provided with a squared section upon which is disposed a worm member; a frame mounted in said stirrup and secured to said car, said fra-me including opposite side walls having offset portions disposed at opposite sides of the worm member on said staff to maint-ain the same in operative position; an oscillatable carrier member mounted in said frame; a drum rotatably mounted in said carrier and having a worm wheel connected thereto adapted to mesh with the worm on said staff, the pull of the brake chain on said drum serving to maintain meshing engagement between said worm wheel and worm member; means for maintaining said drum and the chain connection therewith in predetermined relation when the brake is released, whereby the connection of the chain with the drum is disposed at one side of a line extending through the center of said drum to the point of application of the operating torce to the brake proper; and means for oscillating said carrier to quickly release the brake, said i means being adapted to be manipulated by an operator both Jfrom a position on the ground and from a position upon the car.

7 In a hand brake of the character described, the combination with the body portion of a railway car; of a stirrup adapted to be secured thereto; of an inverted substantially U-shaped frame member mounted within said stirrup, said trame member being provided at one side with spaced offset portions; an operating staff rotatably mounted in said portions and in said stirrup and provided with a squared section; a worm mem ber mounted on the squared section between the spaced otfset portions of said frame; a carrier member provided with eccentrically disposed truiinions rotatably mounted in said Jframe and stirrup; of a drum rotatably mounted in said carrier and having a worm wheel adapted to mesh with the worin member on said sta-tf, the pull ot the brake chain on said drum serving to maintain said carrier in position to maintain a meshing engagement ot' said worm wheel and worm member, said carrier having lili) a handle lever adapted to limit movement of saiol carrier under the pull of the brake chain, said lever being capable of manipulation to oscillate said drum and release said Worm gear from engagement With said Worm rnem- In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of September, 1927.

' JOI-IN F. OCONNOR. 

